SCOUTING IN ICELAND

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 14 May 1938, Page 11

SCOUTING IN ICELAND

NATIONAL JAMBOREE TO BE HELD The Boy Scout movement is very strong in Iceland, and parties of Scouts from other countries are to visit that country in July for the National Jamboree of the Icelandic Scouts. The Jamboree will be held at a place called Thingvalla about 50 kilometres from Reykiavik, the most northerly capital of Europe. The first class tests of the Scouts of Iceland include many things not usually done by other members of the movement. For instance, there is a ski-ing test, as well as a test of skill in swimming horses over rivers. Woodcraft is not practised very much, for the simple reason that there is little wood in Iceland, but the boys make up for it in their knowledge of mountains and snoweraft. They can track more easily ■in the snow than other boys can in woods. Nearly all the Icelandic Scouts have I ski huts in the mountains, and originalI ly the boys wore national dress. It was picturesque but unserviceable, how-

ever, and they have now adopted the normal uniform. If you are a Scout you would find a great deal to interest and thrill you in that northern land. There are wonderful caves formed by volcanic eruptions, and. of course, the hot springs for which the country is fam-